Justin II of Byzantium

Justin II of Byzantium (520-5 October 578) was the Emperor of the Byzantine Empire from 565 to 574, succeeding Justinian I of Byzantium and preceding Tiberius II of Byzantium.

Biography
Justin was born in 520 to the House of Konstantinos, and his mother Vigilantia was the sister of Emperor Justinian I of Byzantium. Grand Chamberlain Callinicus announced on the death of Justinian that he named his nephew Justin as his successor, and Justin Konstantinos was acclaimed the new emperor; Justinian had another nephew named Justin that he might have referred to, but Callinicus was a political ally of Justin Konstantinos. The acclaimed Justin beat the other nephew to the throne and had him exiled to Egypt, where he was murdered. Justin II halted the payment of subsidies to the Avar Khaganate and he also fought against the Lombards, and he also fought the Sassanid Empire. He lost his mind after several defeats, and he abdicated in 574. He nominated his successor as Tiberius II of Byzantium, a general of his, and he died in 578.